Reports coming from the Presidency indicates that a faction of the Boko Haram sect which, last week, freed 21 of more than 219 Chibok girls kidnapped in April 2014, is willing to negotiate the release of 83 more of the girls.
This is according to President Muhammadu Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu.
“These 21 released girls are supposed to be tale bearers to tell the Nigerian government that this faction of Boko Haram has 83 more Chibok girls,” Garba Shehu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.
“The faction said it is ready to negotiate if the government is willing to sit down with them,” said Shehu, adding that the state is prepared to negotiate with the branch of Boko Haram.
The Islamic State-allied splinter group said the rest of the kidnapped Chibok girls were with the part of Boko Haram under the control of figurehead Abubakar Shekau.
Boko Haram has apparently split with a big group moving away from Shekau over his failure to adhere to guidance from the Iraq- and Syria-based Islamic State, which in August named Musab al-Barnawi as its new leader for West Africa.
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